Main menu

Post navigation

Canada Goes Low, Low Carbon Economy that is …

“We should not just consume hydrocarbon fuel but use it to develop nuclear energy, hydro power and renewable energy sources.” Vladimir Putin

“Without passion you don’t have energy, without energy you have nothing.” Donald Trump

History makes strange bedfellows. If these two could only get together, we wouldn’t be trying to reopen the coal mines in Virginia. Putin, of course, is absolutely right. It makes no sense to pump fossil fuel effluent up the chimneys of poorly insulated dwellings, or out the tailpipes of fuel inefficient vehicles. That last gasp of the oil industry should be used to power the engines of research and development into a renewable energy economy so that we can safely make the transition.

Then, with a hybrid mix of nuclear, hydro, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydrogen and as yet undiscovered energy sources, we keep the energy flowing. We certainly don’t want to be caught looking at the last lump of coal as the lights flicker off. Leave the rest of the oil in the ground, the gas unfracked, and the coal reserved. Future generations may need it someday … like after a nuclear winter. When all the power goes out and the all the computers shut down, it’s nice to have a pencil to write by candlelight.

And that is exactly what Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christia Freeland, and Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna announced last week in two separate events. Their combined quotes would sound like this:

“We will set our own clear and sovereign course … all provinces and territories agreed in the Vancouver declaration with the Prime Minister that we needed to have a credible plan with serious actions that would meet our international obligations in the Paris Climate Accord. The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change represents that plan and we will be supporting provinces and territories that have signed up for the plan.”

In other words, Oh Canada, we are charting our own course, and Manitoba and Saskatchewan had better get on board.

So, what exactly does this Low Carbon Economy plan mean to the average Canadian, and to the mitigation of accelerating climate change concerns? It means that if you want to pollute you are going to pay more for energy. If you are energy efficient, you are going to pay less. It means that our two holdout provinces in the Prairies will be burning coal, gas and oil while the rest of the country glows in renewable energy development. Manitoba and Saskatchewan have one year to see the solar light and sign-on. Otherwise their monies are doled out to the other provinces.

There will, of course, be the standard incentives of rebates for energy efficient retrofits for home and business, and for pursuing clean energy options for industry. As a consumer, as always, we have the choice of buying a Prius or a Hummer. We have the choice of landscaping our homes with water efficient plantings and native species, or turf grass and tulips. We have the choice of supporting a government that is committed to a clean energy future, or a fossil fuel nightmare. If the price on carbon (that should go into the Low Carbon Economy Fund) is the stick, then these incentives are the carrots.

The first carrot is a $600-million Low Carbon Economy Challenge for industry and public sector projects, to be launched this fall and doled out on a merit-based, project-by-project basis. From there, the Fund provides about $1.5 billion per participating Province to make the transition to a sustainable energy, low carbon economy. This should translate into jobs, new industry, and a cleaner local environment. But remember, there is no filter up the Ohio Valley if Trump goes Virginia coal crazy. When those winds of sulphuric acid change blow into Ontario and Quebec, there is little that our Low Carbon Economy can do to stop the acid rain.

Overall, for the health of the planet, our policies mean very little. But there is a moral victory in our declaration of independence, and the recognition of our global interdependence. The justifiable pride we can take provincially, nationally and internationally is invaluable. It is our Canadian symbolic gesture of intelligent leadership to say to our fellow True North citizens and generations to come that we tried to do something wise. On the contrary, the Trump administration seems consumed with the Easter Island Syndrome: use it all up until it’s all gone and let the 1% die rich.

When the chaos down south became apparent, Justin Trudeau wisely met with some of the world’s top business leaders. The message was clear: we have a stable banking system, we have respect for diversity, and we are open for business that is sustainable, forward thinking, and energy efficient.

With this Low Carbon Economy announcement, Trudeau has said to the world, not only are we honouring our global commitments, but we are leading the way. An international community that is rapidly turning away from the uncertainty of U.S. policies is now looking to Canada as the stable North American leader. In Green We Trust.

As a footnote, for those who don’t normally watch his show, I would suggest that readers find this week’s broadcast of John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight” on HBO. In it, he gave a scathing exposé of the spin that has been spread by the Trump administration around the myths of coal cleanliness, increase in miner’s jobs and safety, and the integrity of coal mine owners. The outright lies, fudging of figures, and deceit of the President, the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the coal industry CEOs is almost beyond belief.

Murray Energy Corporation sent a letter to John Oliver threatening to sue and demanding that he “cease and desist” from any defamation of the coal industry. Oliver’s response, and ours, “We will not cease and desist.” Ever.